Never Again
by Darkest Raindrop
Summary: When Sakura gets lost in an abusive relationship, she seeks out Li to help her find her way to true love.


Never Again  
  
Disclaimer: Cardcaptors is owned by Clamp, etc.  
  
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She ran through the woods; the house was now in sight. She ran the final steps to the door and banged on it.   
  
"Sakura!" said Li, astonished as he peered at her wet, bruised face. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the house. "Where is he?" he asked angrily.  
  
"I'm not sure," she answered between sobs.  
  
"Let's get you cleaned up and you can tell me what happened," Li said gently, leading towards his room.   
  
Li pulled out some old clothes that must have belonged to Meilin. Looking through the pile, he found a pair of pants, but no shirt that would fit the battered girl.   
  
"Back in a sec," he smiled and closed the door behind him. Sakura sat on the edge of Li's bed. She would have to tell him. Li came back into the room and tossed a shirt at her, casually saying "Haul this on," and left.  
  
Sakura pulled off her wet, muddy shirt, pulling off her star necklace with it. She quickly pulled the shirt over her head, realizing it must very well be Li's. It was green with a stripe, it went to a little above her knees, and the lengthy arms passed her hands. Sakura picked up her necklace, staring at it for a long time. Remembering the cards.   
  
Clow cards, mystical cards created by a powerful wizard, had been locked in a book until a young Sakura broke the seal, releasing the cards into Japan. With the help of Kero, the beast of the seal, and Li, the descendant of Clowreed, she had captured all the cards. Then the young girl was judged by the second Guardian, Yue, who made sure she could handle the cards. It was determined she could. Her sealing wand then changed, neither guided by the sun or moon, but her own star. The cards needed to be changed to Star cards, and beat Eli, who was the wizard Clowreed reincarnated.  
  
Li had helped her through it all. Now at 17, seven years later, Li was still helping her; he was her knight in shining armor.   
  
There was a knock at the door that interrrupted her thoughts. Li poked his head in, asking if he could come in. "It's been a long time," he said, glancing at the necklace.  
  
She pulled it over her head and put it under her shirt. "It's over now."   
  
"Come on, let's talk about what happened, okay."   
  
"All right, sooner or later I'll have to tell someone, it might as well be you, Li. I trust you. Completely."  
  
The pair went into the living room and Sakura related her story to Li. "I thought Suro loved me," she began, continuing with the first time Madsuro had hit her. It was their first fight, she had insulted him and he slapped her. He promised he'd never do it again, and he didn't until tonight. She didn't want to be with him anymore and told him so. When she tried to leave he wouldn't let her, and beat her repeatedly.  
  
Sakura was crying now, and Li wrapped a comforting arm around her and pulled her close.   
  
"Maybe you should stay here, you shouldn't have to deal with Tori right now."  
  
Sakura let out a little laugh and said, "I can't stay -here-."  
  
"Why not?" he asked, smiling.  
  
"We're here, without parents or adults, my Dad will never let me."  
  
"Call and see." He handed her the phone.  
  
"Hey Dad," she said once the rings went through.  
  
"Sakura, where are you?" her father's voice came over the phone.  
  
"At Li's. Can I stay here tonight, Suro and I . . ."   
  
"What'd he do?"  
  
"Tomorrow, Daddy, please . . ." she said, trying not to cry.   
  
"I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. You, Tori, and I will have a little talk."  
  
"Okay, bye Daddy."  
  
Li looked at her and asked, "Are you hungry?"  
  
"No, just tired."  
  
"All right, you can stay in Meilin's old room."  
  
"Good night."  
  
  
The next morning, Sakura awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs. "It's a new day," she thought and crawled out of bed. She saw fresh clothes at the foot of the bed, upon picking them up she realized they were hers. Li must have cleaned them.  
  
Sakura dressed quickly and went into the kitchen to find Li making breakfast. "Morning sleepyhead. How do you like your eggs?" he asked with a smile.  
  
"Doesn't matter," she shrugged.  
  
"Good, 'cause they're already scrambled!" he said, laughing. Sakura giggled. "It's good to hear you laugh," he said. She smiled and picked quietly at her breakfast.  
  
"Are you okay?" Li asked.  
  
"Yeah, fine. I just don't want to face Tori and Dad today."  
  
  
After breakfast Sakura went into the living room while Li cleared the dishes, refusing her offer to help. Sakura sat waiting for Li when the doorbell rang. She waited for Li to answer the door; when he never did, she decided to get it herself.  
  
"Tori! What are you doing here?" Sakura asked, astonished, as she peered up at her older brother.  
  
"Sakura! What did he do to you?" he yelled. Tori had seen her bruised face. Sakura whirled around to see Li. "What'd you do to her, brat?!"  
  
"I'd never hurt Sakura!" Li yelled. Each man was ready for battle, pulses running high, tempers running short.  
  
"Stop it!" Sakura yelled over the madness. "It wasn't Li," she said quietly, "it was Madsuro."  
  
"Madsuro," Tori whispered. "I never trusted him. Come on, we're taking you home." He grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the door.   
  
"Tori, wait. I'll be out in a sec, okay?" she said, looking not at him but at Li.  
  
"Make it quick," he snarled, giving Li a "touch her and die" look. With that he left and went to the car.  
  
Sakura and Li stood looking at one another. Sakura quickly bridged the gap and embraced Li. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear, then turned and left.  
  
  
The car ride was silent, and Tori didn't say a word until they were home. Sakura was partly up the stairs when he said, "We'll talk when Dad gets home, 'kay squirt?"   
  
Sakura went to her room and changed into other clothes, what she had on reminded her too much of last night. She stared at herself in the mirror, lightly touching her blue-black cheek. She looked at herself through her now-black eye in disgust. Sakura had always thought that no guy could control her like Madsuro had.   
  
"I can't believe this!" she yelled, throwing her brush and shattering her mirror. She fell to her knees crying, hearing the door open but not looking up.  
  
"What happened?" Tori asked, scanning the room. He looked from the broken glass to his crying sister.  
  
"Go away!" she choked.  
  
"Sorry squirt, no can do." He knelt beside her, pulled her into his arms, saying "It'll be fine, I promise."   
  
Just then, Sakura's cell phone rang, Tori reached for it. "Hello," a pause, "Hang on. It's the brat," he said, passing her the phone.  
  
Sakura quickly wiped away her tears and took the phone. "Hello, Li."  
  
"Hey, do you wanna go for a walk?" he asked.  
  
"Um . . ." She looked at Tori, who gave her a nod. "Sure, how soon can you be here?"   
  
  
The park was quiet except the occasional bird or two.   
  
"This is perfect," breathed Sakura. And it was, until --  
  
"Hey, get away from my girlfriend!" called a voice.  
  
Sakura froze. "Suro," she whispered. Li turned around to find Madsuro charging upon them. Sakura had now turned too.  
  
"Out of the way," Madsuro said, pushing Sakura.  
  
Li watched her fall. "Sakura," he said as he went to help her, but Madsuro blocked his way. "She doesn't want you anymore," Li spat. Sakura watched Madsuro attack Li, and watched him avade the other easily. Li grabbed his opponent's wrist and twisted it up behind his back.  
  
"Let go!" he screamed in pain.  
  
"Oh, I will," he said almost evilly. "When I do you'll leave here, and you'll stay away from Sakura. If I find out you've been bothering her, I'll kill you. Got it? Now GO," he yelled, pushing him away.  
  
Li watched Madsuro stumble away in fear, then turned to Sakura. He knelt next to her and asked, "Are you okay?"   
  
"Yeah," she answered. Their faces were only inches apart. Li leaned forward, but Sakura pulled away. "Li, wait . . ."   
  
"I'm not Madsuro. I won't hurt you. I could never hurt you," he whispered.  
  
"Oh, Li," she sobbed, throwing her arms around him, "I love you so much. I was afraid of . . . being hurt again. But you won't hurt me?" she said, now looking deep into his brown eyes.  
  
"Never," he whispered, sealing the deal with true love's first kiss.  
  
*   
  
The end  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Author's Notes: The ending's sappy, I know (I'm a tree, full of it! And the last line is stolen from Shrek). deal with it! =) 


End file.
